Portable structure



Sept. 24, l1935. A. EBENHAcK' 2,015,176

PORTABLE; STRUTURE Filed Jan.' si, 1935 5 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

4 A /Pmwe Ezefvmfcf Sept. 24, 1935.- A. EBENHACK v 2,015,176

'PORTABLE STRUTURE Filed Jan. 31, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIOR.

l* INVENToR.

Sept. 24, 1935. A. EBENHACK A PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 31, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 24, 1935.

A. EBENHACK PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan.- s1, 19:55l

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 l INVEN TOR. avr/vw? EzafN//HC/f fr m4 w @9% sept. 24, 1935. A. EBENHACK 2,015,176'

PORTABLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 31, 1935 5 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Sept. 24, 1935 PORTABLE STRUCTURE Arthur Ebehack, New York, N. Y.

Application January 31, 1935, Serial No. 4,221

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in portable structures, such as threatres and the `like, and is particularly directed to a portable structure adapted to be collapsed and transported from/place to place on a trailer.

` In portable theatres as at present constructed the oor space or stage space available for scenes has-been restricted to the area of the bottom of the trailer with possibly one or more hinged sides which may be lowered, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure of this character with a novel arrangement of parts whereby the oor area of the stage is greatly enlarged.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of the character indicated which is collapsible so as to occupy a comparatively small space in transportation.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a roof for the structure which is also collapsible and which will entirely coverthe top and sides of the collapsed device in transportation.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a structure hinged at each end of the trailer, which is movable -from a horizontal position when collapsed through an angle of to a vertical position when erected, thereby permitting of an enlargement in height not provided for in prior structures of this character.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of a structure wherein the single operation of moving the end hinged roof supporting members to vertical position will simultaneously bring the roof structure from the height it assumes when the device is collapsed to the increased height of the theatre structure when erected, and wherein the operation of moving the roof supporting members to horizontal position will simultaneously bring the roof structure to its lower or collapsed position.

l A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus of this character which can be erected with'the minimum of i time and effort.

Further objects of my invention will be -manifest from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the devicecollapsed and ready for transportation; l Fig. 2 is'a similar viewwith the roof removed and with certain parts broken away to show the interior; I

Fig. 3is a fragmentary plan View of the same; y

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the device erected; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device erected, a portion of the roof being broken away to show the interior.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I designates the chassis of a trailer which is mounted on wheels 2. This chassis is provided with longitudinally extending supporting members or channel irons 3 and crossbars 4 which support 10 the trailer floor 5. Hinged to the sides of the ytrailer oor 5 are extensionsl 6 and 1, while to the ends of the trailer floor are hinged left and -right end oor extensions 8 and 9, respectively.

Hinged to the end extension 8 are back and front 15 corner oor extensions I0 and II, respectively. The end extension 9 at the other end of the floor 5 has similar front and rear corner floor extensions I2 and I3.

It willl be obvious from the description thus 20 vertical upright position with reference to the 30 trailer floor 5 they form the sides and ends of the trailer, the iioor section 5 being slightly shorter than the sections 6 and 1, sections 8 and 9 will therefore be slightly shorter than thev corner sections I0, II, I2 and I3 as shown in 35 Fig. 5. This arrangement will permit of the sections 8, III and II, when the device is collapsed or when the sections are at right angles to the floor 5, to passinside the sections 5, 6 and 1. The same applies to sections 9, I2 and I3-at 4 the other side of the device. This arrangement permits of a box-like construction of trailer, floor and sides when the device is collapsed for transportation and provides one flat, even, rectangular floor space of greatly enlarged dimensions 45 when the device is erected for use.

Rigidly secured to the outer edge of the end extension 8 is a lattice work tower I4 comprising y longitudinal struts I5 and I6 secured together by bars I8. The top of the tower I4 has a projecting portion I9 which, when the setis erected, extends longitudinally of and parallel with the stage. Below the oor'extension 8 there is provided a supporting structure or extension 20 which, when the tower I4 is in vertical position 55 with the extension 8 extending in line with the oor 5, supports the tower and the extension 8.

The right side of the stage as viewed in Fig. 5 is provided with a lattice work tower |4 similar to the tower just described, comprising longitudinal bars I5' and I6 secured together by bars I8. This tower likewise has an extension I9' adjacent its upper end extending longitudinally of and parallel with the stage when the apparatus is erected, and a lower extension 2li under the floor extension 9 similar to the extension 20 at the other side of the stage.

The tower I4 is slightly wider than the tower I4 so that when the device is collapsed, as will be hereinafter explained, the tower I4 will fit within the tower I4.

It will be obvious that each tower with the floor section to which it is attached constitutes a device that permits of increasing the height of7the theatre to the extent of the length of the trailer or the towers, thus meeting overheadroad conditions in transportation and providing the.

necessary height for standard scenery and other necessary stage equipment when erected.

The front and rearoor extensions 6 and 1 are provided with legs or supports 2| which are hinged to the floor extensions at 22 and held together for movement as a unit by a pivoted strut or rod 23 so that when the extensions 8 and 1 are lowered or extended so as to constitute an extension of the' floor 5, the legs 22 will swing by gravity about the pivot 22 to supporting position as shown in Fig. 5.

The oor extensions I0, II, I2 vand I3 and the tower extensions 20 and 20' are also provided with legs 24 similar in construction to the legs 22 for supporting the said extensions and the towers I4 and I4', respectively, and the floor extensions 8 and 9, respectively.

The construction providing the rear wall of my improved theatre comprises rear sections 25 which may be hinged to each other at 26. The section 25 adjacent the right-hand end ofthe structure as viewed in Fig. 5 is in turn hinged to a side or end section 21, so that all of the sections 25 may be collapsed and folded against the side or end section 21, which in turn may be swung upon its hinges against the side of the tower I4', the section 21 being hinged to the tower and to side section 28, the latter covering the rear of the tower I4'. It will be understood that the rear sections 25, if desired, may telescope each other, instead of being hinged as just described, in which case the sections would be moved to the right and then folded against the section 21 in the same manner as just described.

Hinged to the front of the end or side wall 21 is a section 29 hinged at 30. Below the section 29 there is provided a collapsible side extension 3|, which is made up of three sections hinged to each other, the rear one of which is hinged to the section 28 at 32. 'The forward wing 33 of the collapsible side extension 3| extends longitudinally of the device when erected, that is to say, at right angles to the end of the structure.

The section 29 has a front or proscenium arch section 34 hinged thereto at 35, this section as will be appreciated extending in the same direction as the wing 33. g

The other side or end of the structure .is pro,- vided with sections similar to the sections 21, 28, 29, 3| and 33 just described.

In addition to the section 34, the proscenium arch of the device comprises proscenium arch sections 36, 31, 38 and 39. These sections are hinged to each other in such a manner as to be collapsed and folded against one of the side or end sections 29, all of which are then folded against the side of the tower I4. The sections 3| are likewise collapsed and folded against the 5 sides of the towers I4 and I4'.

It will be obvious from the description thus far that the rear wall, side or end walls and the proscenium arch of my structure Can all be collapsed and folded against the towers, and the 10 tower I4 with the extensions folded against the same can be lowered, to collapse the structure, swinging about the hinge of the iioor extension 8 as shown in Fig. 4.

The roof 50 of my improved structure com- 15 prises a central section 5|, side sections' 52 and 53, end sections 54 and 55, all of which are hinged to the central section. Corner extensions 56 are removably secured to the roof in any convenient fashion, so that when the structure is to be col- 20 lapsed, these corner pieces may be removed and the extensions 52, 53, 54 and 55 will be free to swing downwardly to enclose the entire structure as shown in Fig. 1.

In collapsing the structure the sections which 25 are hinged at the left-hand side of the structure are folded against the tower I4 which is then folded downwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and the tower I 4' with its folded extensions is then folded inwardly over the tower I4.

The upper end of the tower 4 is provided with a roller 60 which is adapted to engage a stop SI carried on the underside of the center section 5| of the roof as the structure is being collapsed. It will be obvious from Fig. 4 that this roller 35 will ride along the inside of the roof section 5I during the collapsing operation until the roller engages the stop 6| as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The roof is held in the dotted line position of Fig. 4 by the operator and the tower I4 4U permitted to continue its movement until the projection I9 engages the floor 5 of the device. The tower I4 is then folded over the tower I4 and the roof lowered so as to overlie both towers.

The corner pieces 55 are then removed so as to 45 permit the end and side sections of the roof to drop down as shown in Fig. 1 to enclose the sides of the structure.

It will be obvious that in erecting the structure the operations just described are simply reversed. 50 It will be apparent from all of the foregoing that my improved apparatus is of such construction that when erected its cubic capacity is many times greater than when collapsed, enabling a commercially practicable structure to be built 55 which is large enough when erected to answer the purpose for which it is designed, and yet which can be collapsed into a sufficiently small compass to permit of its ready transport.

It is to be understood that while I have illusen trated and described a specii'lc form of my invention that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is: 6'5

1. A portable theatre comprising a center floor, end floor extensions hinged thereto, and side floor extensions hinged to the sides of the center oor and the end floor extensions; the width of the center oor being suciently greater than that of 70 the end oor extensions so that when the side floor extensions are brought to position at right angles to the said center floor and end sections each end extension with side extensions attached can collapse within the boundaries of the center iioor with side extensions attached to form a five sided box structure with the top side open.

2. A portable theatre comprising a center floor, an end oor extension hinged thereto and having a wall section permanently aixed at right angles to the said oor extension on the edge opposite that by which the oor extension is hinged to the center floor.

3. A portable theatre comprising a center oor, an end iloor extension hinged thereto and having a wall section permanently aiixed at right angles to the oor extension at the edge opposite that to which the iioor extension is hinged to the cen-V ter oor, so that when the end floor extension is brought to a horizontal position to extend the floor the wall section will be in roof supporting position. t

4. A portable theatre comprising a center oor, an end floor extension hinged thereto with a wall section permanently affixed at right angles to the door-'extension at the edge opposite that at which it is hinged to the center oor, a collapsible sectional roof the center section of which rests by gravity on the top of said wall section when the said end iloorextension is moved to a position at right angles to the center floor.

5. A portable theatre comprising a roof having a center section, side and end sections hinged to the cent-er section, and corner sections removably secured to said end and side sections, so that when each corner section is removed a ve sided box structure is provided with the open side I downward.

6. A portable theatre comprising a center floor, end floor extensions hinged thereto, and side floor extensions hinged to the sides of the center floor and end extensions, the width of the center oor being such relatively to that of the end floor extensions that when the side extensions are moved into a position at right anglesto the center floor each end extension with the side extensions attached can collapse to form a ilve sided box structure with the top side open; a center roof section with side and end sections hinged thereto, corner sectionsattached to said end and side sections, said corner sections being movable 5 with respect to said end and side sections to permit the end and side sections to be moved to form with the center section a five sided box structure with its open side downward, and with inside clearance greater than the length and breadth of the collapsed floor structure so that the collapsed roof may fit over the collapsed floor.

7. A portable theatre comprising a center floor, end oor extensions hinged thereto, a wall section permanently aixed at right angles to the edge of the oor extension opposite that edge which is hinged to the center floor, a collapsible roof comprising a center section resting by gravity on the top of the aforementioned wall section when the aforementioned oor section is at right angles to the center oor to which it is hinged, brackets attached to the underside of the center roof section at a point where they engage the top of said wall section, to prevent the center section of the roof from sliding from the wall section when the end section of the oor to which said wall is attached is moved outwardly from its vertical position.

8. A portable theatre comprising a center floor, an end oor extension hinged thereto and having a wall section permanently affixed at right angles to the oor extension on the edge opposite that to which the floor extension is hinged to the Acenter oor, so that when the end iloor extension is brought to a horizontal position to extend the oor the wall section will be in roof supporting position, a roof for said theatre, rollers on the ledge of the said wall structure, and a track on the underside of the roof cooperating with said rollers in raising the roof. 40

` ARTHUR EBENHACK. 

